Long ago, two brothers lived on a farm they had inherited from their father. They divided it in perfect halves, and that way they became neighbors.
The older brother had seven children. The younger brother was married, and he and his wife were expecting their first child. These two brothers had always loved and respected each other, so it wasn’t really a surprise when one night, something curious happened.
It was dark, and there was a crescent moon that barely lit the sky. The younger brother stood in front of his farmhouse and looked towards his older brother’s property. Before him were several sheaves of wheat that he had harvested earlier that day. His faithful dog sat nearby, ready for action.
The younger brother said to his dog, “Tonight, it’s dark enough. Let’s go quietly over to my brother’s barn and give him these sheaves of wheat.” The man and his dog walked over to the barn, and he placed the wheat inside.
Then he said, “My brother has seven children to feed, yet I receive an equal amount of wheat from our divided land. He needs this more than I do.” And he went back to his house and fell asleep.
Later that night, the older brother stepped outside his house. “Yes, it’s dark enough tonight. He won’t see me,” he said, as he loaded up his cart with several sheaves of his wheat that he had harvested earlier that day. He walked over to his brother’s barn and placed them inside. “My brother is expecting his first child. He will need some extra income,” said the older brother.
In the morning, both brothers went to their barns as usual and were surprised to find the extra wheat. They wondered where it had come from and who had put it there.
The next night, it was very dark again, and the two brothers secretly brought more gifts of wheat to each other's barns.
The third night, the brothers gathered sheaves of wheat to deliver to each other again, and this night they both left their homes at midnight. It was even darker than before, and there was a fog that made it impossible to see anything. As the brothers crossed the fields, they bumped into each other.
“Ouch! What’s this?” exclaimed the older brother as he fell backwards onto the ground.
“It’s me!” replied the younger brother as he stumbled and fell on top of his brother. "I was bringing you extra wheat!"
"I was bringing you extra wheat!"
The brothers then laughed and cried together, hugging, when they realized how kind the other one was.
When the king of that region, King Solomon, was told the story of the two brothers, he was deeply moved in his heart. “We will erect a temple on this very spot where the two brothers secretly delivered wheat to one another. In this way, we will always be reminded of their example of brotherly love and service.”
That temple still stands in the famous city of Jerusalem.
QUESTIONS
1. Why did the younger brother want to help his older brother?
2. Why did the older brother want to help his younger brother?
3. How did they discover who was delivering the sheaves of wheat at night?
4. Would you like to have brothers like the ones in the story? Why?
EXERCISE
What do you do to show your family members that you love them? What do they do for you? Make a list of additional things you can do to show your family you love them, and try to do one extra nice thing every day.
In Unity, There Is Strength
Long ago, two brothers lived on a farm they had inherited from their father. They divided it in perfect halves, and that way they became neighbors.
The older brother had seven children. The younger brother was married, and he and his wife were expecting their first child. These two brothers had always loved and respected each other, so it wasn’t really a surprise when one night, something curious happened.
It was dark, and there was a crescent moon that barely lit the sky. The younger brother stood in front of his farmhouse and looked towards his older brother’s property. Before him were several sheaves of wheat that he had harvested earlier that day. His faithful dog sat nearby, ready for action.
The younger brother said to his dog, “Tonight, it’s dark enough. Let’s go quietly over to my brother’s barn and give him these sheaves of wheat.” The man and his dog walked over to the barn, and he placed the wheat inside.
Then he said, “My brother has seven children to feed, yet I receive an equal amount of wheat from our divided land. He needs this more than I do.” And he went back to his house and fell asleep.
Later that night, the older brother stepped outside his house. “Yes, it’s dark enough tonight. He won’t see me,” he said, as he loaded up his cart with several sheaves of his wheat that he had harvested earlier that day. He walked over to his brother’s barn and placed them inside. “My brother is expecting his first child. He will need some extra income,” said the older brother.
In the morning, both brothers went to their barns as usual and were surprised to find the extra wheat. They wondered where it had come from and who had put it there.
The next night, it was very dark again, and the two brothers secretly brought more gifts of wheat to each other's barns.
The third night, the brothers gathered sheaves of wheat to deliver to each other again, and this night they both left their homes at midnight. It was even darker than before, and there was a fog that made it impossible to see anything. As the brothers crossed the fields, they bumped into each other.
“Ouch! What’s this?” exclaimed the older brother as he fell backwards onto the ground.
“It’s me!” replied the younger brother as he stumbled and fell on top of his brother. "I was bringing you extra wheat!"
"I was bringing you extra wheat!"
The brothers then laughed and cried together, hugging, when they realized how kind the other one was.
When the king of that region, King Solomon, was told the story of the two brothers, he was deeply moved in his heart. “We will erect a temple on this very spot where the two brothers secretly delivered wheat to one another. In this way, we will always be reminded of their example of brotherly love and service.”
That temple still stands in the famous city of Jerusalem.
QUESTIONS
1. Why did the younger brother want to help his older brother?
2. Why did the older brother want to help his younger brother?
3. How did they discover who was delivering the sheaves of wheat at night?
4. Would you like to have brothers like the ones in the story? Why?
EXERCISE
What do you do to show your family members that you love them? What do they do for you? Make a list of additional things you can do to show your family you love them, and try to do one extra nice thing every day.